This invention relates to photography, and more particularly, to creating, processing, selling, and distributing image-based products and services to customers.
Digital image technology is being used to offer various on-line photographic services. For example, services are available that allow consumers who have their film developed to receive on-line access to their images. Consumers with access to the Internet may order reprints by clicking on various on-screen prompts. Services based on digital images are offered. For example, consumers may download images for printing in their home. Digital images can also be placed in on-line photo albums or sent to friends and relatives using e-mail.
Some mail-order photo labs allow consumers to receive their images on a floppy diskette or a compact disk when they are developed.
Digital imaging technology is being used by professional photographers. Digital cameras are available that allow fairly high-quality images to be taken digitally. By attaching a monitor to the camera, photographers can display images to allow clients to decide immediately whether they find a particular image acceptable. Because digital images may be printed as soon as they have been acquired, novelty photographs such as a child posing with Santa or other subject for which immediate results are desirable are possible.
Digital image acquisition systems are available that allow images to be cropped on-screen after they have been acquired. However, such systems are generally self-contained and do not allow images to be manipulated over the Internet.
Stock photographers have used the Internet to promote their image portfolios to potential buyers, but have generally not used the Internet to sell images.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide techniques for creating, processing, selling, distributing, and otherwise using image-based products and services.